How Raintree Athletic is creating an epic club community with 98% member retention

LM: Hi Laury, tell us about your club?

Laury Dennis (LD): Raintree Athletic opened 15 years ago – we just had our anniversary. Prior to that, it was another club locally owned and operated. When it was sold we got a complete facelift, and we’ve got members and Instructors – including myself – who have been with us the whole time.

LM: How would you characterize your facility?

LD: One of the things that sets us apart is that we're locally owned and operated. We can make decisions in real-time and react to member feedback at pace. We try to maintain out-of-the-box thinking and keep up with the latest trends. We have a very intentional culture with a clear purpose and it’s why we come to work every day – to inspire growth and impact lives. I think the intentional culture resonates with the membership and members feel it too, which helps keep them coming back.

LM: What’s your history with group training?

LD: We started with LES MILLS back in 1999, with BODYPUMP™. Taking that program on changed the entire look of what we were offering at the time and it was the first class that I had 40 participants, and I remember walking in and going, “Oh my gosh, this is amazing!” Our Instructors and members fell in love with Les Mills and wanted more. We followed up with BODYCOMBAT™ in 2001 and it exploded into another favorite. Since the initial BODYPUMP training, we’ve taken on BODYSTEP™, BODYBALANCE™, BODYATTACK™, RPM™, LES MILLS SPRINT™, BODYJAM™, LES MILLS GRIT™, and LES MILLS TONE™.

We also have some freestyle classes, including Pilates and lots of yoga. I let my team be autonomous and come up with ideas, which is part of our intentional culture. If they've got an idea for group training, we can try it. If it doesn't work, that’s fine. But I want them to be able to open up.

LM: You’ve shared that membership has increased by 39% post-COVID and your retention is 98%. Can you explain how you've achieved that?

LD: Well, connection is gigantic and our club is a community. People come because they feel like it's their home away from home. Whether it be a Les Mills Instructor or a yoga Instructor, we are committed to making connections with our members. We lean heavily on events and social meets. We've got a cafe in our club, so our Instructors will meet in our cafe and host social events. I do one a month with my BODYPUMP class and sometimes I have 30 people. New members see that happening and they feel welcome and keen to join in.

It’s taking care of members’ wellness needs, too. Holding events means members make friends and hold each other accountable. If someone doesn't show up for class, people are like, where have you been? Or they'll call each other and ask if they’re OK. It’s a real community.

LM: What role would you say Les Mills plays in that retention rate?

LD: It’s a huge part of our success. Les Mills has been instrumental in the growth and popularity of our group training classes, keeping what we provide new, innovative, constantly challenging, and always fun. That in turn helps with member and Instructor retention. When you partner with Les Mills, the tools that are available to you go beyond programming. For example, a huge part of our retention figures is how we help new members settle. In an average month, 21% of group training participants are first-timers, which is driven by member referrals. The Les Mills SMART START approach – whereby members build their way up slowly to a full live class – has been transformational for members.

SMART START gives the option to try a class and feel comfortable leaving and because it encourages starting slow and building intensity, it allows newcomers to raise their hand if they’re ready to go. Then they don't feel uncomfortable coming back to a class because we’ve made it OK that they're not perfect. So if they need to leave, we’ll cheer for them, and when they come back for longer, we’ll cheer for them again!

LM: Group training also attracts 79% of repeat attendees monthly on average. How are you achieving that?

LD: It’s the love members have for programming and their Instructors. They see great results and they make great connections. People love BODYCOMBAT and BODYPUMP - they’re two of our most attended classes. We make a really big deal out of our launches – our BODYCOMBAT100 launch was amazing. Part of that was all the help I received from my Les Mills partner, motivating me, giving me ideas, and supplying all the goodies and marketing materials. Members never get bored of release launches, because they feel the global scale they’re part of. It’s not just here in Fort Collins it’s happening, it’s all over the world – it's a big deal!

LM: How else are you innovating to bring people to group training?

LD: I’m a big advocate of sampler classes. We’ll ringfence time and do sample tracks of all of our Les Mills classes, just for 15 minutes. That allows members to try BODYJAM for example, when they might think, ‘I can't dance’. But then they try 15 minutes of it and realize it's not as scary as they thought. They also really help with newbies. They turn up not knowing the difference between BODYCOMBAT and BODYATTACK, but having the chance to experience it helps them get it.

LM: How do you retain a great Instructor and what are your tips for attracting new ones?

LD: Over 80% of our Les Mills Instructors started as members. I was a member before I trained and most of my team were too, aside from a few that moved here. It’s taking the advice of tapping up your front row. Folks will either come up to me and tell me they want to become an Instructor, or we’ll reach out to them and arrange training at our club. I’ve had great success with organizing cards that Instructors can give to members. Put a QR code on there and they can look and see all of the upcoming trainings.

LM: Why did you choose to install Virtual? What gap is it filling?

LD: COVID was the catalyst for us installing Virtual. I was initially reluctant, but it's been one of the best things we ever implemented. We have Fitness On Demand in our big studio for group training and also in our cycling studio, and it's helped in two ways. It's helped members that come in during off-peak when there's no live class. They can go in, choose a class, and do it in the privacy of the studio with the door closed and nobody watching. I schedule on-demand classes, which is a great way to try things out. And if it doesn't work I’ll change it to something else. I sprinkle a variety of classes throughout the schedule so that people have the opportunity to try different things.

Members are planning their Virtual usage, too. I've got a group that attends the 1pm scheduled BODYPUMP Virtual class and it's cool to walk by and see that they’ve planned this visit and are getting all the benefits of a science-backed workout when we don’t have an Instructor around. The other great thing is these are the same group of people who come to live classes, so they’re not choosing one over the other, they’re enjoying both because it’s what works best for their schedule.

LM: How else is Virtual driving impact for you and your members?

LD: It's taken the pressure off if an Instructor is off and I can't get a sub – the nightmare of any operator’s existence! Now, I can put a Virtual class on. I tell them I'm going to pick a really good release!

It’s also supporting those who need extra time on their journey into the live environment.

All our members know there is the opportunity to do a Virtual class. I schedule tutorials on Virtual as well. I've got a couple of BODYPUMP tutorials and people turn up and take the tips. For those who are brand new to it, it allows them to see what the class is all about and how to prepare for the equipment changeovers. We support those with live technique classes for BODYPUMP, BODYCOMBAT, and our cycle programs. It’s just another way to keep members informed and remove any insecurities.

LM: What type of workouts are currently in demand with members and how are you timetabling them?

LD: It’s great to see women discovering strength training. Our BODYPUMP classes are at capacity, and we have wait lists – for evenings and afternoons. Lifting weights for women is a big thing, and I’ve seen a real increase in the amount of men doing BODYPUMP, too.

Giving women the opportunity to lift weights is important because it’s so good for us as we age. Having programs like BODYPUMP that show them the correct form is a huge help for them, as opposed to going out in the weight room and being scared and uncertain of what to do. Coming to class gives them the accountability they wouldn’t have if they were turning up to the gym alone. Members tell me there are times they came close to not coming, but they remember that people are there rooting for them, waiting for them, and it makes them glad they came.

LM: What value is your Les Mills partnership bringing to Raintree Athletic?

LD: I love my Les Mills partner! She's like my cheerleader. She’s there to bounce ideas off and offer advice. I had an Instructor come to me recently who wanted to train in Les Mills PILATES, and we already have a pretty good Pilates program, but I thought, Les Mills might have a different spin on Pilates. So I reached out to my partner and talked through it. That’s the trust the partnership has built.

LM: If you could give other operators one golden nugget from your experience to improve retention, what would it be?

LD: I think it’s crucial to get onboarding right and to really embrace your new members after the point of sale. Our team is laser-focused on finding out what works for each member. We work on the basis of offering a ‘prescription’ for each one. We figure out their likes, ask where they are in their exercise life, are they brand new to exercise, are they seasoned? Then based on that, tailor recommendations for where they should start.

When it comes to group fitness, we try hard to break down all the barriers. I'll meet with a member and talk to them, motivate them, and, meet them before class to show them a few things that might neutralize their concerns. And then follow up after class to see how they found it and if there’s anything else we can help with. It could be as simple as encouraging them to show up early to get the spot they want – which helps them feel more comfortable, and they’ll enjoy it more and want to come again. And learn members’ names! It’s simple but it makes a difference.